Cheaper Way to Kill Bed Bugs?

As some of you may know, there are articles floating around the internet about using silica gel to kill bed bugs. Some places mention silica gel cat litter or cement powder to dry the little buggers out. I, personally, don’t know if this works. It is true that dioxide will kill bed bugs and that Diatomaceous Earth contains silica powder in it. D.Earth is a relatively well known and effective bed bug killer, but lately, more and more chemical pesticides that contained it are being discontinued. Maybe that’s why people are trying so desperately to find different, cheaper bed bug killers-because D. Earth was such a favorite. However, I would like to point out that Diatomaceous Earth is NOT the only effective bed bug dust! Pyganic dust is just one of the many other dust pesticides available that will effectively kill bed bugs.

This is an update for a comment that was left previously requesting a post about flea control! 😀

Fleas have many different ways of entering the home, but once the infestation is live and going, it may be overwhelming to control. Fleas can be a nuisance in so many ways, particularly because they do bite humans as well as animals. However, with the right control methods and products, fleas can be controlled!

I recently did some research on fleas and thought I’d share some tidbits that some people may not know!

Did you know??

The common dog or cat flea that you find in your home in America is PROBABLY the CAT flea – there are over 200 known species of fleas and actually, the dog flea is a rare find in America. They’re common in Europe, but in America, the cat flea is the most common flea that is found on both cats and dogs!

For starters, unlike the other ants we know of, fire ants don’t bite. The creatures sting but then mosquitoes don’t bite either and yet we call what they subject to us mosquito bites. Anyway, whether you call the fire ant bites stings or bites, fact remains, when the fire ants attack you, you can positively see yourself with a few serious complications on your hands. As you most probably already know, fire ants sting using their pinchers to provide them with the grip they need. They then proceed to sting you from their abdomen and inject into your skin, a toxic alkaloid venom called solenopsin.

Grasshoppers vs. Katydids: Spot the difference!

Have you ever seen a katydid before? Although you may not have heard of one before, you probably have seen at least one! Katydids are relatively common in America, but they are more widely found in tropical regions around the world. People often mistake katydids for grasshoppers since the two look similar. In actuality, the katydid is actually more closely related to the cricket.

Bird Control: Sorry, Tweety

Caw caw. There’s one sound a farmer or gardener wouldn’t want to hear- the sound of a crow. Although they may look majestic flying in the air, birds can become annoying and destructive pests if left alone or in large numbers. Birds may eat your crops or plants, ruining your garden or field. One type of bird in particular, the woodpecker, can cause severe damage to the structure of your home and basically make really annoying, loud sounds. Perhaps the biggest problem bird pests pose is the consequences of their droppings. Bird droppings are transmitters for a myriad of diseases and can also corrode rooftops, balconies, etc. Droppings can also hinder progress on a building project or reconstruction. Overall, birds definitely have great potential to be dangerous, immediate concern pests.

As a follow-up to my previous post, I will dedicate this entry to chigger bites. Chigger bites are known for being painful and extremely irritating, making mosquito bites look like mere pricks. Most people describe chigger bites as looking like blisters, only intensely itchy. In a sense, chigger bites are like chicken pox (if you have many bites); they are itchy, sometimes painful, and take about 2 weeks to heal. Thankfully, they can be treated and are usually not severely dangerous to your health, unless your constant itching results in your skin being infected. But before I tell you what you can do to treat a chigger bite, let me list some preventative measures first.

Here’s some pest biology about centipedes and millipedes! The main reason I want to share the differences of the two is because centipedes can potentially be harmful to people whereas millipedes are actually pretty tame creatures.

A lot people will commonly find a centipede or millipede in their homes and start freaking out. I’m not surprised! Both bugs are so creepy with what seems like hundreds and hundreds of legs. Even though they basically move the same way and look very similar, theres some major differences in the two creepy-crawlies.

Mr. Frank, the House Mouse

Its getting cold outside and all the insects are slowly disappearing…

Last year we had a secret guest in our house no one knew about until he started making himself comfortable around our home. During the day there were no traces of this mouse. But when the clock hit 12 he would scurry out in search for food.

Fleas will attack humans. It’s so annoying! I’m sure there are plenty of people who share my agony of flea bites. Fleas often prefer cats or dogs as hosts. Most fleas we deal with in the states are feline fleas but they like dogs as well as cats.

About Author

Cecil

My name is Cecil Lewis, and I am a survivor. That vacation was a much needed time away from my hectic hours as a lawyer in a medium-sized firm in Chicago. But as it turned out my time there was not relaxing at all, life had a different plan. Lucky for my family we were further uphill hiking that day when we heard the news. We left to find an even safer location just before the water came on shore.